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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · face · track · calf · deal · wax · march · key

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. march — the month
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. key — in music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. march — music
  11. wax — to grow
  12. key — the most important part
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. branch — a division
  15. deal — to handle
  16. face — to confront
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. face — part of the head
  20. key — for a lock
  21. track — a path
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. face — to point toward
  24. track — a song

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com